MCC Softball takes down league-leaders NJC in sweep

The McCook Community College softball team took a pair of games Tuesday from Region IX-leading Northeastern Junior College, winning 6-2 and 17-0.

"It was a very good day in all phases," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg. "After Saturday's uninspired play they have shown what they are capable of when they play as a team with enthusiasm."

MCC got timely hitting in Game 1 and piled on nine runs in the first inning of Game 2, sending 13 hitters to the plate and never trailed in the five-inning game.

The Plainswomen entered the game with a 13-1 mark against Region IX teams, but MCC closed the gap in the standings with the two wins giving them an 11-5 record just two games back of 13-3 NJC.

Northeastern won the first two games between these two teams in Sterling March 25 by the scores of 6-5, and 5-4. The second day of that four-game series was postponed and eventually moved to McCook for weather considerations.

The two teams have one remaining makeup game from the Region IX round-robin showcase that was postponed in McCook on March 5. That game will be made up April 19 at Sterling at 3 p.m. (MT). MCC will also take on Western Nebraska at 1 p.m. (MT) that same day to makeup the other game postponed from the showcase.

"We still have a long way to go and they need to continue to build off the last two doubleheaders," Kaalberg said.

NJC falls to 26-13 overall. MCC improves to 25-15.

Wednesday's games at North Platte were postponed because of weather concerns.

On Friday Lamar comes to McCook for a four game series with the first pitch Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. Lamar is 10-30 overall and 8-14 in Region IX games.

For all the up-to-date information on MCC softball this season including, schedules, statistics, rosters and photos, please visit the official website of MCC Athletics at: https://mccookcc.prestosports.com/landing/index

GAME 1 – McCook CC 6, Northeastern JC 2: McCook was the visiting team on the scoreboard because these games had originally been scheduled to be played in Sterling, Colo., and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. MCC took advantage of an NJC error to start the game with freshman Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) batting. Sophomore Taylor Thein (West Branch, Iowa) sacrificed Ogden to second and Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.) lined an RBI single to give MCC the 1-0 lead.

Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) started the game in the pitching circle and held the Plainswomen scoreless in her two innings of work on one hit, three walks and two strikeouts.

MCC broke the game open with five runs in the third inning all coming with two out.

Rae VanMilligan (sophomore, Marion, Iowa) led off the inning with a single and after two straight strikeouts, Thein doubled and Cortez doubled in both runners to make it a 3-0 game. Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia) singled in Cortez to make it 4-0, and Tyler Mooring (freshman, Santa Clara, Utah) singled in two more to put MCC up 6-0.

Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) pitched the third and fourth innings and allowed just one baserunner (a walk) while striking out two.

Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia) pitched the final three innings and after pitching a scoreless fifth and sixth, surrendered two runs in the seventh. She allowed six hits and no walks and struck out one.

MCC had nine hits in the game with two each from Cortez, Simms and Smith.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 17, NJC 0: MCC sent 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and took advantage of two errors and scored six runs with two outs. Paige Smith and Taylor Thein both had two-run doubles in the inning.

Avery O'Neil limited the Plainswomen to one hit in her three innings of work, walking two and striking out five.

Madisyn Simms led off the second with a single and Rae VanMilligan hit a two-out two run home run to put MCC up 11-0.

 Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) pitched an inning of scoreless relief allowing one hit and she struck out one

MCC put the game out of reach in the fourth with more six runs highlighted by doubles from Simms, Tyler Mooring, Thein and Alyssa Winter (freshman, Lexington).

Mooring closed out the game in the circle allowing two hits and preserving the shutout in her inning of work.

MCC had 13 hits and with three by Thein, Simms and VanMilligan.